Lamp 1938

John Dana made this Lamp at an unknown date with watercolor and graphite on paper. I can imagine him using these soft materials in order to get that translucent purple shade. I can see Dana experimenting with the interplay between form and light, trying to get the balance right between representation and the magic of color. There is a gentleness in it, isn't there? The purple hues create a harmonious effect, as if he is playing with our perceptions of light and shadow. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi who also spent his life painting the same vases over and over again trying to capture something essential in the everyday. You can really feel the artist searching, experimenting and reflecting, as he engages in a dialogue with the history of painting. Each stroke of the brush invites us to contemplate the ever-changing nature of seeing.